House Lust: The Orchard, a Palatial Newport Chateau with an Illustrious Past, is on the Market
The French-inspired manse was built for a Civil War colonel.
Some folks might see “it has the largest private pool in the state,” and that’s enough. Say no more. Show me the House Lust.
Indulge me, though, won’t you? Because this place, like all old ones tended over the decades, has a story to tell. From socialites to recluses, and a robbery that still haunts the dreams of Newport’s grand dames, the Orchard has seen it all.
Built over two years for $60,000, the 18,591-square-foot yellow brick mansion was, by and large, an anomaly in 1870s Newport, where red brick reigned supreme. But its owner, George Richmond Fearing, craved a true French chateau, writes James Yarnall in his 2005 tome, Newport Through Its Architecture. So Fearing did what any good melting-pot American would do (he was a Civil War colonel, after all): He bought the blueprints for a Swiss country house, which was designed by a French architect, and commissioned Newport’s architectural darling, George Champlin Mason and Son, to modify them.
Fearing, a founder of the Newport Casino, willed the estate to his son, an early aviator married to a women’s suffrage activist. From there, the house entertained a bit of a dark cloud. Its next stewards bought the place after the hurricane of 1938 swept several of their servants out to sea at their previous mansion, the newly built Seafair. Next up: the reclusive heiress and widow Elizabeth Firestone, who lived next door and used the mansion as a buffer from her neighbors and storage for her dresses. The following owners lost the estate to bankruptcy and the next one, an art investor, lost nearly everything else in a 3 a.m. home invasion, when robbers handcuffed him and his lady friend to the bed so they could cherry pick the Orchard in peace. The thieves used his Jaguar as the getaway car.
Richard Saul Wurman, the TED mastermind, seemed to dispel the dark cloud by operating his wildly popular conference from the house. After two decades at the Orchard, Wurman and his wife sold the estate for a bargain sum of $1.055 million. It was turned around twice more, most recently in 2018, when it underwent a series of interior and exterior renovations before hitting the market with Vanderbilt International Properties in January of 2020.
Alright, alright, here’s the ninety-foot swimming pool (and your House Lust):
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The Orchard, 180 Narragansett Avenue in Newport, is on the market for $14 million. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
The Orchard, 180 Narragansett Avenue in Newport, is on the market for $14 million. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The 18,591-square-foot chateau, which sits at the end of a tree-lined drive, was built over the course of two years and completed in 1873. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
The 18,591-square-foot chateau, which sits at the end of a tree-lined drive, was built over the course of two years and completed in 1873. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The exterior is yellow Milwaukee brick and Ohio limestone, which was rare at the time. The roof is slate. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
The exterior is yellow Milwaukee brick and Ohio limestone, which was rare at the time. The roof is slate. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The 1958 Concourse Mercedes Benz 220S convertible is available by separate negotiation. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
The 1958 Concourse Mercedes Benz 220S convertible is available by separate negotiation. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The dramatic double staircase leads to a mahogany front door. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
The dramatic double staircase leads to a mahogany front door. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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In the marble entrance hall, a wall-hung painted screen by Howard Chandler Christy is conveyed in the sale. The main house and carriage house both come fully furnished. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
In the marble entrance hall, a wall-hung painted screen by Howard Chandler Christy is conveyed in the sale. The main house and carriage house both come fully furnished. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A view from the grand entry looking toward the drawing room. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
A view from the grand entry looking toward the drawing room. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The main house has eleven fireplaces, including this one in the drawing room. The owner collaborated with Sharon Lawn on the interior design. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
The main house has eleven fireplaces, including this one in the drawing room. The owner collaborated with Sharon Lawn on the interior design. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A view of the library. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The formal dining room. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A bar and cigar room sits off the kitchen. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A breakfast nook sits off the kitchen. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A view of the second level landing. An elevator also operates between the two floors. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
A view of the second level landing. An elevator also operates between the two floors. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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One of eleven bedrooms. The second level boasts a master bedroom and four additional ensuite bedrooms. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
One of eleven bedrooms. The second level boasts a master bedroom and four additional ensuite bedrooms. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The main house has eleven bathrooms. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The third level has four additional ensuite bedrooms and two additional guest bedrooms. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
The third level has four additional ensuite bedrooms and two additional guest bedrooms. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A period bath on the third level. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A staircase to the lower level. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The lower ground floor has a heated lap pool. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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Also on the lower level, a full spa and gym. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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Another bird's eye view of the property. Specimen trees include weeping beech and blue spruce. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Realty)
Another bird's eye view of the property. Specimen trees include weeping beech and blue spruce. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Realty)
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A view of the second heated lap pool outside. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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The massive ninety-foot heated swimming pool, reportedly the largest of its kind in Rhode Island, at dusk. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
The massive ninety-foot heated swimming pool, reportedly the largest of its kind in Rhode Island, at dusk. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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Garden statuary dots the nearly five-acre property. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
Garden statuary dots the nearly five-acre property. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A view of the 3,752-square foot carriage house, which boasts two separate apartments. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
A view of the 3,752-square foot carriage house, which boasts two separate apartments. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
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A view of the entrance at Narragansett Avenue in the heart of the Bellevue Historic District. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
A view of the entrance at Narragansett Avenue in the heart of the Bellevue Historic District. (Photography via Vanderbilt International Properties)
For more information on the Orchard, contact Vanderbilt International Properties’ Stacie Mills at 401-619-3333 or visit theorchardri.com.